Israel Demands a King
(Deuteronomy 17:14–20)

1And it will be when Samuel was old, he set his sons judges to Israel. 2And the name of his son the firstborn will be Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: judges at the Well of the Oath. 3And his sons went not in his way, and they will incline after plunder, and they will take a gift, and they will turn away from judgment.

4And all the old men of Israel will gather together and will come to Samuel to Ramah; 5And they will say to him, Behold, thou wert old, and thy sons went not in thy ways: now set up for us a king to judge us as all the nations. 6And the word will be evil in the eyes of Samuel when they said, Give to us a king to judge us: and Samuel will pray to Jehovah. 7And Jehovah will say to Samuel, Hear to the voice of the people to all which they will say to thee: for not thee did they reject, but me they rejected from reigning over them. 8According to all the works which they did from the day I brought them up out of Egypt, and even to this day, and they will forsake me and serve other gods, so they do also to thee. 9And now hear to their voice: but protesting, thou shalt protest to them, and announce to them the judgment of the king who shall reign over them.

Samuel’s Warning

10And Samuel will say all the words of Jehovah to the people asking from him a king. 11And he will say, This shall be the judgment of the king who shall reign over you: your sons he will take and set for himself, for his chariots and for his horsemen; and running before his chariots. 12And to set to himself captains of thousands and captains of fifties; and to plough his ploughing and to reap his harvest, and to do all his fighting and all his chariots. 13And your daughters he will take for perfumers, and for cooks, and for bakers. 14And your fields and your vineyards, and your olive trees, the good he will take and give to his servants. 15And of your seeds and of your vineyards he will take the tenth and give to his eunuchs and to his servants. 16And your servants and your maids, and your good young men, and your asses, he will take and make for his services. 17And of your sheep he will take the tenth: and ye shall be to him for servants. 18And ye cried out in that day from before your king which ye chose to yourselves; and Jehovah will not answer you in that day.

God Grants the Request

19And the people will refuse to hear to the voice of Samuel; and they will say, Nay; but a king shall be over us. 20And we were as all the nations; and our king judged us and went out before us, and fought our battles. 21And Samuel will hear all the words of the people, and he will speak them in the ears of Jehovah. 22And Jehovah will say to Samuel, Hear to their voice, and make a king for them. And Samuel will say to them, Go ye a man to his city.